


Lie Down Late

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fourth Age, General
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-26 19:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3862405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since this vignette was first published to the HASA archives, I have added it as a chapter to The Tales of the Innkeeper.<br/>``````````````<br/>A simple innkeeper (OC) reflects on the weary life of a king. Part of the Tales of the Innkeeper series.</p><p>About the Tales of the Innkeeper series: Come on in and relax with the innkeeper. The place isn’t fancy but it’s clean and warm and the wine is flowing. Who knows? You just might even encounter a Hobbit or two. Previous vignette in the series: This New King.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lie Down Late

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

He looked tired. You'd think fancy folk like him would get more rest, having servants to do all the hard work. How can a body tire from lying about on silken sheets in a bed bigger than my largest room? But I reckon traveling in a blizzard like he'd done wears a man out. 'Course, I don't travel much myself, needing to be here at the inn tending to guests. Now there's tiresome work!—People always needing something but none too thankful to get it. But by and large, we get good folk here, folks like you.

You'd think that tired as he seemed, he'd have gone straight to his room, same one Denethor stayed in when he was here that one time. Maybe I should start charging more for that chamber, call it the "Room of Royalty" or something of that ilk. Anyhow, the King, tired as he looked, remained downstairs talking to his men. I wasn't able to make out exactly what they were discussing—not that I was trying to eavesdrop, mind you—but it seemed important; something about food supplies. One by one, each of his men retired for the night. It was the wee hours of the morning before they were all gone, and Elessar still sat there by himself, going over some sort of papers. 'Course, I stay up that late to keep an eye out for folks who might be up to no good. That's my life: lie down late; rise up early. Now you understand why my work is tiresome? 

Before I retired for bed myself, I asked him if there was anything more I could get him.

"No, but I thank you. You've been quite hospitable." He gave me a weary smile and a nod of the head. Imagine that!—the King thanking me for simply doing my job. Most of my guests could take a lesson in manners from Elessar. Of course, as I said, most of our patrons are good folk like you. 

"Very well, sire." I almost told him not to stay up too late, but who am I to tell the King when to go to bed? Besides, I didn't want to sound like his mother.

As I said, it's usually late when my head finally hits my pillow, but I'm always up about my work early again the next morning. Usually still dark when I make my way downstairs, but I'm used to it; more than five hours of sleep and I'm groggy. Made of strong stock, I am. Besides, I like being the first one up; gives me time to clear my head before the day begins. But that morning after the royal party arrived, I went down just as early as always to find that someone had beaten me: there sat the King going over more papers. Don't know whether he'd ever bothered going to bed or not.

As I stood there watching him work, I thought about what I'd heard the night before: the King and his men discussing the food supply. It occurred to me that folks seemed to think that once the shadow was gone, things'd be right easy. Seems for many, the hard part's just beginning. People're trying to put their lives back together, and I reckon that it's King Elessar they're all turnin' to. Thankless job, I imagine. And he'll be at it for quite some time; I hear he has Númenor blood, and you know how long those folks live. Yes, going to be many a year before this new King gets any rest.

Guess it's just as exhausting being a king as it is being an innkeeper. I reckon those satin sheets and big beds don't do a man much good if he never gets to lie on them. 


End file.
